Oil Pastels Boot Camp: A Missing Manual for Success

Hi, I’m Jen Dixon and welcome to Oil Pastels Boot Camp: A Missing Manual for Success.

Oil pastels. They’re not crayons, but you can colour with them. They’re not paints, but you can paint with them. They’re not quite like any other medium, and can be kinda tricky to work with… Wouldn’t it be great if they came with an instruction manual to help guide you?
That’s why I made this class.

Oil pastels are a relatively new invention dating back to the 1920s. There are many brands of them on the market, many considered poor in quality and frustrating to use. This is why many people give them up so quickly.
But it doesn’t have to be that way.

In this class I’m going to give you the missing instruction manual to oil pastels. You’ll learn how to blend them, experiment with them, and of course - make art you love with them. You won’t believe how versatile these sticky little crayons can be. I use them often in my work, and will show you how to make your oil pastels a go-to medium for your own creations. Whether you work figuratively or in abstract, this class is full of techniques and exercises for you.

We’ll cover:
- What they are, and the differences in types of oil pastel and their similar cousins.
- What to use them on.
- How to get the most from marks, mixing and blending.
- Special techniques and effects (some of which you may not have ever seen before).
- Preserving your painting or drawing.

If oil pastels have ever frustrated you: this class is for you.
If you use oil pastels already but are up for some new techniques and helpful exercises: this class is for you.
If you’ve never tried them and have no idea where to start?
You guessed it: this class is also for you.

Let's get down to the fun of using oil pastels.

Sound good? Wonderful. See you in class!

• Oil Pastels Boot Camp: Introduction
• Materials Needed
• What are Oil Pastels?
• Some Brands & Buying Advice
• Blending 1: Tint, Tone, & Shade
• Blending 2: Warm & Cool Blends
• Blending 3: Blending Styles & Tools
• Blending 4: Optical Mixing & Making Black
• Unusual Techniques & Special Effects
• Surfaces and Working over Gesso
• Creating Paintings: Advice and Examples
• Preserving Your Oil Pastel Art
• Final Thoughts